Spam reporting thread #70

PROCEDURES FOR REPORTING SPAM

Distinguish between the following, and flag the highest level of the violation:

-- Type 1: Irredeemable commercial spam: make sure to flag the member's profile, as well as the spammy activity. This type includes things selling strollers, pharmaceuticals, live-streaming sports games, porn, and/or trying to create traffic/links to sites for such things. Sufficient profile flags will automatically result in temporary suspension and deletion of the member's activity, so use your profile-flagging powers wisely and carefully.

-- Type 2: Teachable moments: DO NOT flag the member's profile, but DO flag the violating activity (e.g. self-promotional Talk post, group, or local venue). This type includes promotional activity that violates the Terms of Service (TOS), but where the member is potentially redeemable, e.g. overzealous authors, overzealous publishers, or other members with small TOS violations but who are otherwise using the site legitimately. These cases should be reported to staff (by sending a message or email to staff and/or or posting on this thread), so the member can be taught how to use the site.

Specific procedures:
-- Overzealous authors or publishers (these fall under type 2): do NOT flag the member's profile. Report to staff here or privately. You can also send the member a polite message pointing them to the terms, mentioning the "no promoting" language, and pointing them to the Do's and Don't page for authors: http://www.librarything.com/about_authors.php
-- Suspected sock-puppetry to promote a book, write fake reviews, and/or stack ratings: do not flag the profile, but report to staff here or by message, so staff can investigate. This is a serious violation for which members can be permanently banned.
-- Profile flags for commercial spammers only (type 1): On the member's profile page, click on the "report for spam" link, then follow instructions to flag the member. Again, this is only for commercial spam, not for "overzealous" authors, publishers, or booksellers, which should be reported to staff instead. See Talk post: http://www.librarything.com/topic/85810
-- Spam or promotional posts in a Talk topic (type 1 or 2): flag the post as an abuse of the terms of service.
-- Spam or promotional groups (types 1 and 2): flag new groups using the "flag this group" link.
-- Spam lists: report in this thread, and flag the member if it's commercial spam.
-- Spam works (type 1 spam): flag the work as spam on the work's editions page, and then vote on proposed work spam. Make sure to read the guidelines before proposing or voting, especially for what is not spam. Voting page: http://www.librarything.com/spam_works.php
-- Spam in a review (type 1), or an explicitly promotional review (type 2): flag the review as an abuse of the TOS, using the red flag.
-- Spam or promotion in "published reviews," or other CK fields (type 1 or 2): post here and/or delete.
-- Spam or egregious promotion/advertising in venues or events (type 1 or 2): post here and/or delete. Note that authors are permitted to add events for their books.
-- Spam in book links / quick links: post here and/or edit to remove spam.
-- Spam author names listed on a work: No current procedure. Tim has asked us not to change CK to indicate spammers, and not to combine spam authors together.
-- Not sure if it's spam? Post here, and explain why.

Please note that Tim has asked us not to use either CK or the combining system (whether works or authors) for spam fighting.

For more information see these wiki pages:
Procedures for flagging and reporting spam: https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Spam
Spam works, guidelines for flagging and voting: http://www.librarything.com/wiki/index.php/HelpThing:Spam_works

(A copy of these guidelines, for pasting in new threads, can be found here or at the top of previous threads.)

Huh. I just rescued my own post from yesterday from the Spam folder.

>2 2wonderY:

That's weird!

Another instance of that rude photo over on Patrick's author gallery, by another twit.

They don't seem to understand that what any user puts up, any user can mark away.

ETA: Gone now, minutes later.

>4 karenb:

He's gone and so is the photo.

Honestly, people can be such jerks.

The author profile that we are trying to keep clean is https://www.librarything.com/author/tomlinsonpatricks.

There was some CK from the suspended account I had to clean out. Also, I question if we want to have a link specifically pointing to GR in the short bio right now.

>7 gilroy: I agree with you on that and almost removed it myself.

>7 gilroy: I deleted it. It doesn't belong in short bio anyway

That one image is back. How boring.

And another one.

Uploaded by https://www.librarything.com/profile/patso-blobberslob

>11 MarthaJeanne: So what they're doing violates site terms, but it's not Spam. Do we flag them gone or do we have to report to staff?

>12 2wonderY:

This one is so egregious, I'd flag it (in fact, I did).

And >11 MarthaJeanne:: leaving a comment for these guys is probably not a good idea. a) they don't care, and b) you don't want to become another target.

>13 lilithcat: That comes from being the first flag.

Good. He's gone and so are all three pictures that he uploaded.

Actually, he does seem to have messaged me, but it was deleted when he was suspended, before I saw it.

>12 2wonderY: See https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Contributing_photos_to_LibraryThing

Just got rid of another one who uploaded half a dozen pix to Tomlinson's page. It's almost as if we need a way to lock an author page to protect it from attacks.

>15 Taphophile13: et al; I think that we need to approach Tim with the suggestion of locking that particular author page. I'd put the Goodreads information there because the author is active over there, and thought it might be helpful. Yes, I could have just looked through it, and made a brief writeup of the information, but I got lazy.

For the curious who might happen upon this thread down the road, here's the information I'd posted in the Bio CK (and I agree that it really doesn't belong there).

There's probably more information over on Goodreads about the author, for those wanting it. He has had an account since 2015, and seems relatively active there. https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4729556.Patrick_S_Tomlinson

https://www.librarything.com/work/11420321 has been flagged as spam, but a google search of title and author says it's a published textbook on patient rights.

>17 SandraArdnas: Flagged by someone who joined today. Owned by a member who joined in 2009 and entered over 100 books last year.

getting Instagram followers
https://www.librarything.com/groups/howoftendoyoureadthe
https://www.librarything.com/profile/mosebar

>20 Taphophile13: Flagging the member as a Spammer, even though he is a lifetime member.

>21 2wonderY: If he joined via the app he automatically gets a free lifetime account.

And that status protects the profile from flagged removal unless lots of us flag. I don't know how many flags it takes in this circumstance.

>23 2wonderY: At some point staff had to do the removing themselves for lifetime accounts. I don't know if that has changed.

>24 norabelle414: I sent Kristi a message and she did remove the member and group.

>25 2wonderY: Ah, that's what I usually do too.

Author promotion: http://www.librarything.com/topic/315406

I've left a message on his profile: http://www.librarything.com/profile/yaviancha

>27 lilithcat: https://www.librarything.com/topic/315408

Ah, that's a new one, currently without the direct mention of his book. I'm still flagging it.

and https://www.librarything.com/topic/315409#

Both gone.

>27 lilithcat: I don't see your message, is it private or did they delete it?

>30 norabelle414: I saw it. He must have deleted it. Hmmm. Proof at least that he knows he spammed and is trying to see how far he can push things.

The two new messages have three stars each.

>31 MarthaJeanne: His book looks familiar and I think that he was warned previously.

yaviancha just started a science and literature group:
http://www.librarything.com/groups/scienceandliterature

The first post has been deleted but it seemed to be similar to his other posts. "What do you think of such-and-such?" I'm keeping an eye on it in case he tries to promote his book there.

>31 MarthaJeanne: Ok then, I'm flagging the profile.

>30 norabelle414:

It wasn't private, so he must have deleted it.

>37 karenb: Gone now.

author spam

https://www.librarything.com/topic/315500#
https://www.librarything.com/topic/315501#
https://www.librarything.com/profile/george-calleja1

>40 amanda4242: This is not the first time he's been warned for spamming talk boards.

>40 amanda4242: Topics are gone.

Free member since 2015. Hasn't bothered with LT author. Only entered own books. Author page shows that one other person has entered 1 copy of his books. Doesn't look like his spamming is working well for him.

I point out that both MarthaJeanne and I left message on his account in August, one of the other times he's done this. All his books (the only books in his library or ones he's written) have five stars, and two or three of them are merely duplicates. I just flagged the profile. There has to be some limit.

>43 Lyndatrue:

I note you and MarthaJeanne left them on the same day, with the space of half an hour. Nothing to suggest that he ignored one and so made the second necessary.

Also, it is not against the TOS for an author to catalogue only his own books or (although perhaps it should be) to rate them five stars or give them glowing reviews (as many do).

See Type 2 above. (Did you notify staff?)

>44 lilithcat: It was indeed the same day, and probably within minutes of each other. The point was that it was in August, when last he did this, more than that there were two postings. Did I notify staff? Nope. I only bother them when it's something egregious. Annoying is far down the line.

While I certainly agree and understand that authors often have their own works in their library, and sometimes it's only those books, I was merely pointing it out because it was an example of who he was.

The important fact (and why I flagged the profile) is that, even though the previous posts were all deleted, and he was specifically told that it was breaking the rules, he still came back and repeated. As I said above, there has to be a limit on what is and is not tolerated. Teachable moments are fine, and almost all the authors seem to learn (some even become members that enjoy LT, and are very worthwhile folks). When an adult gets told that the behavior they've engaged in is in violation of the rules here on LT, I absolutely expect them to take it to heart.

It's fine to make a "mission statement" on the profile; a lot of newer authors do precisely that, and I've even found a couple of them informative and amusing. I just expect adult behavior from adults.

>40 amanda4242: repeat offender who didn't learn from last warning. Flag the profile too.

Gone now.

I'm not sure how to typify this newish account. Maybe "Enthusiastic Reviewer"? is closest.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/315532

https://www.librarything.com/profile/TheSoundsOfSilence (don't flag, please)

I'm not sure how to explain that reviews are best attached to the book they belong to, rather than just posted in Book Talk. It almost feels as though the reviews are for profit, except that all the books in the library are well-know items from well-known authors.

Ah, well. I'm off to bed (and overdue for it, at that). Perhaps someone will have ideas in the morning...

Now I know it's past time for sleeping. I forgot to mention that, at the very least, it would be nice to suggest that URL shorteners are not really good nowadays.

>48 Lyndatrue: They are also on the works. In the same short form with the short URL. The blog they point to looks very fancy. https://www.librarything.com/profile_reviews.php?view=TheSoundsOfSilence He really does need to learn to tone down his prose.

"Dhruv Kandhari is currently studying English & American Literature & Creative Writing at University of kent, the greatest passions that he has attached himself with seemingly are related to Arts, the one which stands out his obsessive keenness to analyse literary texts and present his thoughts on them, whether emotional or political or even historical critiqués."

I've put a private message on the profile. No idea whether I got the tone right, but I tried. The only place where he has pushed the written rules is that link in the topic advertising his blog. And, like you, I am bothered by hiding where the link is going to.

Return offender in Spam 65

http://www.librarything.com/topic/295492#7034580

Gone before I finished typing.

Casino games site

http://www.librarything.com/profile/Thembleavelf

Author spam

http://www.librarything.com/topic/315683

(http://www.librarything.com/profile/yazan2570)

(Isn't it sad that publishers don't think a novel based on Asimov written by a Turkish author is likely to sell.)

>52 MarthaJeanne: and this one
https://www.librarything.com/topic/315682
https://www.librarything.com/topic/315684

https://www.librarything.com/topic/315749
https://www.librarything.com/profile/_be_witching_

They call themselves discord, but promise respectful moderators. Of course they don't consider whether or not it is respectful to advertise on a site they might be in competition with.

Topic is gone.

Author spam group https://www.librarything.com/groups/nhpaxton

(https://www.librarything.com/profile/NHPaxton)
Group seems to have started by long time member https://www.librarything.com/profile/Brandy0101 on the same day as the author joined. and that the member entered those works.

>55 MarthaJeanne: In addition, Brandy0101 has five books, two of which were written by NH Paxton, and two others by "James Hunter" who turns out to be the author James A. Hunter (no touchstones on purpose, not kidding). Here's something even more significant, though.

The last four entries (the books in question) were all added two or three days ago, and before that, Brandy0101 had no entries in her library since 2017, and that was only two, and so on. Just maybe, the account had an easy password, and perhaps it isn't the same user as before.

https://www.librarything.com/catalog/Brandy0101

>56 Lyndatrue:

In addition, Brandy0101 has five books

I'm seeing 223, nearly all added between 2008 and 2010. One of her collections, labeled "2017", has only five books. Perhaps that's what you were looking at?

>57 lilithcat: Sorry, I might not have been clear. The books in question were those added recently (as of a few days ago), since otherwise, there's been no activity on that LT account that I could see from 2017. It was the sort of anomaly that goes hand in hand with the creation of the group, and so on.

I know that I said five books, but I was trying to do multiple things at once (always a bad idea), and I want to reduce it to four books.

>59 karenb: Both members suspended.

https://www.librarything.com/profile/guimecon

Replaced the snippets in the published reviews section of The Testaments with spam links.

Apparently intended to send traffic to his blog (identified with a URL shortener, regrettably): https://www.librarything.com/topic/316011#7047509
Profile https://www.librarything.com/profile/TheSoundsOfSilence.

>62 haydninvienna: I just realized that the user made a group titled "Book Reviews" and is posting in that group. Then he says go read the rest of the review over here, and uses a URL shortener? If I were feeling mean, I'd flag the group, but it's late, and there's enough meanness in the world of late.

I did flag the review, though...

I used to have a tool that would display the full URL when someone used shorteners, but I have no idea where it is, or if it would even work.

Such is life...

I found one (it's a web site, but I'm lazy tonight):

I'm putting the link here, because it's useful.

http://checkshorturl.com/

His short URL was "https://bit.ly/2GqPwWg" and it turns into:

"https://blog.dhruvkandhari.com/brave-new-world-by-aldous-huxley/ "

Ah, well. People are strange.

>63 Lyndatrue: I saw that too, and I assume that the whole point of the group is to drive some traffic to the website. I didn't feel like flagging anything but the user and the group are probably worth keeping an eye on.

He has done this several times already. see >48 Lyndatrue: >49 MarthaJeanne:.

For future reference, the group is https://www.librarything.com/groups/bookreviews

Group is gone.

>62 haydninvienna: He posted the same in Book Talk last week. I just flagged his group.

Author promoting his book appearances: http://www.librarything.com/topic/316315

He also seems to think this is Goodreads!

http://www.librarything.com/profile/EllisLucas

>70 lilithcat: They also already created an LT author account (https://www.librarything.com/profile/Ellis.Lucas) a few months ago, so I won't be holding my breath that they'll learn how to use LT appropriately.

>71 norabelle414:

Oh, I'll bet he just forgot his screen name and created a new account. People do that all the time.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/316309
Really hope this was a user remove and not a spam flag thing, because this post does NOT deserve spam flags...

https://www.librarything.com/profile/blackpanther is writing several spam messages.

The first one was https://www.librarything.com/topic/316325

He's gone now.

>73 gilroy:

I sent an email yesterday evening about that. Cannot understand why the user was removed, unless there was something on the profile that made it suspect.

>75 lilithcat: There must have been other activity. That thread showed up at the top of my feed, but the profile already had a tombstone attached.

>73 gilroy:, >76 2wonderY:

I just heard back from Kristi that it was the member who deleted the account, so all is well.

Just in case:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/316378#
https://www.librarything.com/profile/vicnxeal

ETA: Never mind. All gone. :-}

MarthaJeanne's got it.

>79 MarthaJeanne: Profile and topic are gone. Just the work remains.

ETA Work gone, too.

Should zero-copy spam be reported? http://www.librarything.com/work/16175803

>82 jasbro: That's not necessarily spam. People are allowed to catalog other things as long as they're not trying to advertise them.

A little searching shows this identical "work" with 5 users: https://www.librarything.com/work/10132511
The accounts that list it seem to be otherwise reputable, so I wonder if it's bad data coming in from Amazon or somewhere

Author spam: http://www.librarything.com/topic/316436

Message left on profile: http://www.librarything.com/profile/RebekahWagner94

>84 lilithcat: To keep an eye on:
https://www.librarything.com/profile/RMitchellWager
https://www.librarything.com/profile/Rmitchell94

>85 norabelle414:

Oh, dear. I wonder if she's one of those people who forgets her screen name, etc. and so creates new accounts. She sent me a reply to my comment saying "Thank you I am new to this site." (That particular profile was created in September of 2019 - so not terribly new!)

>84 lilithcat: >85 norabelle414: Makes me wonder if one of those is a publicist created account and the others are hers or what.
Also makes me suspect pending sock puppetry -- after having been warned about advertising...

>87 gilroy: I think it's much more likely that she just signed up for the site in 2014 and 2015 and forgot.
This morning she's active in the Hobnob group so she seems to be trying to do the right thing.

>87 gilroy:

Nah, if it were sock puppetry, I’d expect the profiles to have been created much closer together.

>88 norabelle414: >89 lilithcat: Yeah, I posted that then went back and looked closer at the profiles. Definitely not the latter of my thoughts. Lost passwords, sure. The latest feels created by a publicist then given to the writer to manage. (I have a friend who has had that happen.)

I've just left her a note pointing out the other two profiles. She likely doesn't realize they exist, or, if she does, how to get to them (if she's forgotten the passwords). I suggested she contact staff for help.

I pointed out a major grammatical mistake, and said that I wouldn't read books with similar mistakes. She has removed the mistake. (Not corrected it, removed the sentence.) She informs me that I was rude, and that she doesn't care if I read her books. Good, seeing that only three members have entered any of her books. Wait a minute, they are all her profiles that have only entered her books.

(It constantly amazes me that people self publish books, and can't write one or two paragraphs of good English to publicize them.)

>92 MarthaJeanne: The woman's only 25 (if I calculate her age right from the post and her first published work) so she has no seasoning yet. No skin toughening...

http://www.librarything.com/profile/brickcavebooks still has a message I sent in 2017.

Now they have started a group.

>94 MarthaJeanne: Their new group has a 2 to the URL, so I'm thinking we flagged the group into oblivion once before...

They have also recommended one of their books.

See http://www.librarything.com/work/12438885 They published both books involved.

>97 SandraArdnas: Was there a profile to go with it?
Was this for an author improperly advertising?

Really need more details, please.

Sorry, didn't put the link to the profile. New member posting a link to bis/her site. Gone already. I didn't flag the profile

Edit: found the profile in browser history
https://www.librarything.com/profile/myeasydecoration

This new author member is ineptly trying to steer to her own book:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/314708#7071262

http://www.librarything.com/profile/LindaPetrin

Her homepage shows she's the author of Define Design.

I'll leave a note on her profile page.

Touchstone is wrong. Book probably isn't in LT yet.

>102 MarthaJeanne: Oh, right. I tried TS, to see whether it was, and forgot to remove the brackets.

>101 2wonderY: Right now, with no actual book listed, I don't feel comfortable flagging that post.

>104 gilroy: That's fine. My feel is that she was a drive-by and won't even be back to read the note I left.

Author pushing her cookbooks: http://www.librarything.com/topic/316918#
http://www.librarything.com/profile/sarahjgilbert

loans
https://www.librarything.com/profile/juansann
https://www.librarything.com/groups/prstamosrpidosonline
https://www.librarything.com/topic/317023

>107 Taphophile13: All gone.

http://www.librarything.com/profile/tanaiya has multiple "escort" adds in Book talk.

>109 MarthaJeanne: >110 MarthaJeanne: Gone.

It's been a while since I've seen one of these...Enthusiastic author sighting.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/317253#
https://www.librarything.com/profile/alanlong

I've left a message. The posting needs a couple more flags.

http://www.librarything.com/profile/merryagnes tells me

I wasn't advertising. I wanted to get opinions about my work. You might be the person who removed my question. You should be aware that this is censoring. If you try to intimidate authors here you are about as bad as those communists who cannot endure voices like mine.

>113 MarthaJeanne: I sent her a note just now. Curious what she replies.

>113 MarthaJeanne:

Sheesh.

Take a look at her directions to readers on how one should review a book:

http://www.librarything.com/work/21654144/reviews/170305533

merryagnes seems to be using their profile comments as a type of blog and I'm a bit concerned for them. Not sure trying to have a logical discussion will work.

She's blocked me, which is fine with me.

For what it's worth, I like seeing reviews by people who explain why they didn't finish reading the book. Saves me a lot of bad books.

MarthaJeanne (#118):

For what it's worth, I like seeing reviews by people who explain why they didn't finish reading the book. Saves me a lot of bad books.

I do too, and I suspect that's exactly why merryagnes wants to prohibit DNF reviews of her own books - she probably realizes she can't get away with telling people not to write negative reviews, but thinks that she can prevent some of them by discouraging DNF.

>119 lorax: I also feel that if I do not finish a book and give it a low rating I owe it to both possible readers AND the author to explain why.

>116 2wonderY: That's now suppressed by flags.

>118 MarthaJeanne:, >119 lorax: A DNF review is perfectly valid. For some people, the book is just not the right genre, storyline, etc... Besides, reviews are not for the Author. They are for other readers.

I miss the old days where it took at least a week before one could respond to a review...

review with "helpful" links for ordering the sequel
https://www.librarything.com/work/17574722/reviews/169659048

>122 karenb: Not spam. Those are not links to buy the book, those are the GoodReads equivalent of touchstones. They get broken and look weird when the reviews are imported from GoodReads to LT, but that is not a flaggable offense. Both of those URLs end in .jpg which means they are images; in this case an image of the author and an image of the book cover.

>122 karenb:, >123 norabelle414:

Something similar happens with Amazon reviews as well.

>124 lilithcat: Yeah, we're pretty lucky that broken/transferred LT touchstones just look like innocuous brackets. (and by "lucky" I mean Tim does good work)

>123 norabelle414: >124 lilithcat:
For some reason I misread one of those links. Thanks for the catch (and counterflag).

new spam post:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/317442
https://www.librarything.com/profile/azgvfrdtLee

https://www.librarything.com/groups/favoritebooksfrom902
Link in the group goes to a poker site that set my virus scanner into a red alert mode.
https://www.librarything.com/profile/joinmaniaqqtop (profile)

http://www.librarything.com/topic/317497

His review of the book includes suggesting that you give this book to each child for each birthday.
http://www.librarything.com/work/2071904/reviews/179599909

>128 MarthaJeanne:

So what? Unless he's the author (and I see nothing to suggest that), why shouldn't he make such a recommendation? It's no different from reviews that say, "Everyone should read this!"

I don't see why this would be considered spam.

I hesitate to call this one an Enthusiastic Author, but still, everyone deserves the chance to be good.

https://www.librarything.com/profile/ThoMcTighe

I left a message on the page.

Not one, but two annoying comments:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/317545#

Both flagged into invisibility, but since there were two, it'll take staff intervention to remove it.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/317576
https://www.librarything.com/topic/317577
https://www.librarything.com/profile/jalila

Author spam. I've left a profile message.

>132 amanda4242: Always feels so good to add the fourth flags and see the spam disappear. Topics are gone now.

BTW This costs $5 from Amazon as a Kindle book. It is 7 pages long.

Not yet spam, but I wouldn't be surprised if that changes. Or else it's a bored kid.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/317600#

The member has been removed: https://www.librarything.com/profile/restu777
The member's spam remains in Talk: https://www.librarything.com/topic/179761#7034587

>136 aspirit:

The post is hidden. Because it's part of a larger thread, it won't disappear altogether.

>137 lilithcat: the message wasn't hidden when I posted. It is now. Thank you, flaggers.

Author spam

http://www.librarything.com/topic/317908

http://www.librarything.com/groups/hankthetherapydachsh where you will have to join (and then leave) to flag
http://www.librarything.com/topic/317907

(Do not flag http://www.librarything.com/profile/MikaRyan.)

>139 MarthaJeanne: Also:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/317909#
https://www.librarything.com/topic/317910#
https://www.librarything.com/topic/317911#

>140 norabelle414: The ones I listed are gone as is the first one here. The other two still need flagging.

>141 norabelle414: >142 norabelle414: All gone.

>139 MarthaJeanne:, >140 norabelle414:

A couple needed fourth flags (unless someone counter-flagged?). Done now.

new groups

immigratoin services
https://www.librarything.com/groups/immigrationservices
https://www.librarything.com/profile/ACEMigrationServices

waste water treatment
https://www.librarything.com/groups/wastewatertreatments
https://www.librarything.com/profile/Envisol

digital marketing
https://www.librarything.com/groups/digitalmarketing2
https://www.librarything.com/profile/WebKow

soccer betting
https://www.librarything.com/groups/favoritebooksfrom80s
https://www.librarything.com/profile/sunduls

I added the tag for this group; Don't click the link
https://www.librarything.com/groups/favoritebooksfrom70s
https://www.librarything.com/profile/ganools

SEO
https://www.librarything.com/groups/seotoolscollection
https://www.librarything.com/profile/SEOToolsCollection

Wow! It's been a long time since we last had a lot of spam groups.

>148 MarthaJeanne: There was an uptick last week but they were quickly squashed. Now they seem to be hanging on much longer.

Manufacture and distribution of handmade bags All kinds of genuine leather, cheap price
https://www.librarything.com/groups/leatherthailand
https://www.librarything.com/profile/zebitpeng

travel site
https://www.librarything.com/groups/travelingwithkids
https://www.librarything.com/profile/SaraDox

online SEO course
https://www.librarything.com/groups/cursodeseoonline
https://www.librarything.com/profile/ticosantos

love quotes in hindi
https://www.librarything.com/groups/lovequotes
https://www.librarything.com/profile/HanumanChalisa

video games & downloads
https://www.librarything.com/groups/bookfavouriteofgames
https://www.librarything.com/profile/Kenny21D

new member created four groups to send traffic to his sites

https://www.librarything.com/profile/toon4you
https://www.librarything.com/groups/favouritebooksfrom90
https://www.librarything.com/groups/popularbooksof80sera
https://www.librarything.com/groups/popularbooksofcentu2
https://www.librarything.com/groups/popularbooksofcentur

I almost feel like we have to create some of these groups the spammers keep making and get them active, just to break this pattern...

>153 gilroy:

I don't understand what you mean by that.

>154 lilithcat: My mind going in the wrong circles cause of this whole virus thing... Never mind

online "magazine" site: just ads such as grow your hair/nails, cleaning tips, 20 facts about dogs, etc.
https://www.librarything.com/groups/fictionclan
https://www.librarything.com/profile/liban

Does it seem to anyone else like spam is taking a longer time to go away than it used to? (for the past 2 weeks or so)

>157 norabelle414: Yes, and even when the spam group is removed the spammer profile remains.

>157 norabelle414:, >158 Taphophile13:

I've noticed that, too, and it seems to be correlated to the elimination of membership fees. I think that lifetime accounts took longer to disappear, but spammers rarely used that option.

I may be entirely off-base, though.

It used to be that (rare) paid members didn't disappear quickly. It seems to me that within a few days of joining and no books entered should not count as 'paid', but it may take some programming.

What is library Thing doing regarding image CAPTCHAs, which are inaccessible to persons with disabilities, such as those who are blind or partially sighted. Is Library Thing WCAG-conformant and accessible to persons with disabilities?

>159 lilithcat: That was my impression as well. Everyone is a lifetime member now so slower to be deleted — or maybe only staff can delete lifetime. I think we had to request assistance getting rid of spammers who joined via the app and were automatic lifetime accounts. Also, some of the spammers are now showing as "Unconfirmed member." Not sure why groups get 8 or 9 flags and are still on the site. Maybe it has something to do with the work from home situation?

>161 GaryMMorin: This thread is for reporting spam so I doubt you will get much response here. I suggest you send your query to info@librarything.com.

>162 Taphophile13: Groups have always had to be deleted by staff.

>161 GaryMMorin: https://www.librarything.com/topic/311248#6922920

Been a while since I've seen one, and it needs more flags.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/318188#
https://www.librarything.com/profile/hfxeciuq

Profiles are sticking around now since universal lifetime membership. I hope staff can figure a solution; otherwise flagging is no longer rewarding.

>168 2wonderY:

There doesn't seem to be a bug report on this, so I'm going to make one now.

Okay, report made: http://www.librarything.com/topic/318194

Just noting here that I've seen the complaints re: spam flags since our free memberships to all release. Going to investigate and report here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/318194.

back pain relief
https://www.librarything.com/groups/backpainremedies
https://www.librarything.com/profile/Bodsupport

phishing site
https://www.librarything.com/groups/lessims4jeupc
https://www.librarything.com/profile/martins123

another "favorite books from the 80s"

group website something about love/desire
homepage is about buying mattresses
https://www.librarything.com/groups/favoritebooksfrom802
https://www.librarything.com/profile/dzoana

casino gambling
https://www.librarything.com/groups/casinosbobet
https://www.librarything.com/profile/joker123

Gone! In two minutes. Looks like they've fixed the issue mentioned in >157 norabelle414: et seq.

Spamming even totally irrelevant forums:

http://www.librarything.com/profile/robertmartin86

http://www.librarything.com/topic/318289
http://www.librarything.com/topic/318290
http://www.librarything.com/topic/318291
http://www.librarything.com/topic/318292
http://www.librarything.com/topic/318293
http://www.librarything.com/topic/318294
http://www.librarything.com/topic/318295
http://www.librarything.com/topic/318296
http://www.librarything.com/topic/318297
http://www.librarything.com/topic/318298

>177 lilithcat: I already left him a note.

>178 Taphophile13:

Well, I'm leaving him another one, and it won't be as polite.

Seriously, he's posted this is Bug Collectors? I'd squash him like a bug. ~mutter, mutter~

also these:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/318283#
https://www.librarything.com/topic/318301#

yeah, one more and I'll be tempted to squash him too

found another:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/318285#

And these:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/318288
http://www.librarything.com/topic/318286
http://www.librarything.com/topic/318284
http://www.librarything.com/topic/318283
http://www.librarything.com/topic/318282

>179 lilithcat: Like your note! Though he's probably a seagull who will never even see them.

Ok, I just flagged him.

And he's gone.

And
http://www.librarything.com/topic/318299

He's gone! Yay!

discount, promo codes
https://www.librarything.com/groups/bloggimgioanhviela
https://www.librarything.com/profile/oanhviela

ETA: gone

https://www.librarything.com/groups/favoritebooksabouttr

That was fast!

Author spam

https://www.librarything.com/topic/318407

(https://www.librarything.com/profile/waelmanz)

author spam
https://www.librarything.com/topic/318416#

(https://www.librarything.com/profile/RobertLloydRussell)
borrowed MarthaJeanne's excellent wording

The topics on both >189 MarthaJeanne: and >190 Taphophile13: are gone.

someone named harbinger877 has been leaving a one word message in the 75 books read group on a number of threads- "porn"is the word or "porn please" is the phrase - just joined, no books , no groups joined-some of the messages have been flagged

>192 torontoc: Found five messages, three already flagged to oblivion (searched for "porn" in Talk, by latest message).

>192 torontoc: harbinger877 has now been removed

Yay!

free iTunes codes for his book
https://www.librarything.com/topic/318612#

left message
(https://www.librarything.com/profile/LeonStevens)

>196 Taphophile13: gone

New member created group to discuss her book:
https://www.librarything.com/groups/womensministrywithpu

leaving note
(https://www.librarything.com/profile/GenaBMcCown)

ETA: It appears that she has altered the group description slightly, adding "...even what is not in the book, and more."

>199 MarthaJeanne:

Creator of spam group: https://www.librarything.com/profile/tinku300

(It seems silly to post in the profile hunt for just one profile.)

https://www.librarything.com/profile/esexhookupssf

>201 karenb: gone

>201 karenb: You’ve done a great job cleaning up!

New member

https://www.librarything.com/profile/topgun

is pushing his books on several threads, though he has been warned

https://www.librarything.com/topic/297770#7131299
https://www.librarything.com/topic/287405#7131268
https://www.librarything.com/topic/318380#7131257

Another new author pushing his book in unsuitable topics.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/77802#7132543

(https://www.librarything.com/profile/VoxZeitgeist)

>206 MarthaJeanne:
Aw geez. A college professor now lecturing in the thread because we asked him to not advertise...

I just red-exed the thread.

A college professor who thinks it right that a student asks strangers on the web to do his/her homework for him/her.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/319229

I have not looked at the link, am not sure what sort of spam it is. The subject line includes the word book.

https://www.librarything.com/profile/yann25000

ETA Gone.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/315114#7135888
https://www.librarything.com/profile/VirginiaElev
Just joined no books, political message, link in post????

>211 haydninvienna: Gone.

I think it's time for a new thread.